Beto O'Rourke: My wife and I are descendants of slave owners
by Caitlin Yilek
| July 15, 2019 07:43 AM
Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke revealed Sunday he was recently given documents showing he and his wife, Amy, are descendants of slave owners.
O’Rourke, a former congressman from Texas, wrote in a Medium post that the legacy of slavery “now has a much more personal connection.â€
O’Rourke said his paternal great-great-great grandfather owned two slaves, Rose and Eliza, in the 1850s, and someone who could be his maternal great-great-great grandfather owned slaves in the 1860s. Documents also show O’Rourke’s wife has an ancestor who owned slaves and another who was a member of the Confederate Army.
“I benefit from a system that my ancestors built to favor themselves at the expense of others. That only increases the urgency I feel to help change this country so that it works for those who have been locked-out of — or locked-up in — this system,†he wrote.
“As a person, as a candidate for the office of the Presidency, I will do everything I can to deliver on this responsibility,†he continued.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/beto-orourke-my-wife-and-i-are-descendants-of-slave-owners
